Everyone joins in hit parade in Mets' 15-2 rout of Dodgers

New York Mets leftfielder Michael Conforto high-fives teammates after scoring on a double by centerfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the bottom of the fifth inning during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, July 25, 2015, at Citi Field. Photo Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan

Sandy Alderson might have picked up some votes for Executive of the Year Saturday night.

Sparked by rookie Michael Conforto, who went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, four runs and an RBI in his second big-league game, and trade acquisition Kelly Johnson, the Mets pounded 21 hits in a 15-2 rout of the Dodgers before a thrilled crowd of 39,744 at Citi Field.

The Mets have been starved for offense. On Saturday night, they had a feast with a season high in runs and hits.

On Friday, Alderson called up Conforto from Double-A and acquired Johnson and Juan Uribe from the Braves in a late-night deal.

Conforto picked up his first big-league hits after going 0-for-3 with an RBI in his debut on Friday. Johnson, batting cleanup and playing second base, was 2-for-6 with a home run, one of four by the Mets.

The Mets also got four hits and four RBIs from Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who started in centerfield in place of slumping Juan Lagares. Daniel Murphy had a two-run homer and three RBIs, Lucas Duda homered twice and Ruben Tejada was 3-for-6.

Winning pitcher Matt Harvey went seven innings and also had two hits and two RBIs. It was the third straight game in which he has driven in two runs.

With the addition of the versatile Johnson and the veteran Uribe (who entered the game in the seventh and was 1-for-2), manager Terry Collins has two more legitimate big-league hitters than he did on Thursday, when John Mayberry Jr. was his cleanup hitter. Mayberry (.164) was designated for assignment after Friday night's game.

Collins now has some choices -- which is what he told his players. "They've been put on notice it's time to pick it up," he said. "Whoever's swinging the bat's gonna play."

Harvey (9-7) allowed six hits and two runs with one walk and four strikeouts. He gave up solo home runs by Jimmy Rollins and Joc Pederson. Rollins homered for the third straight game in the series.

The Mets scored four runs in the first inning against righthander Zach Lee, who was making his big-league debut.

Curtis Granderson led off with a walk and moved to third on Tejada's single. Murphy smacked the next pitch to center for a single and a 1-0 lead.

Johnson singled to load the bases before Duda lined to short for the first out. Conforto singled off Lee's glove for his first career hit and second career RBI. The ball trickled to Rollins, but Conforto beat it out.

Nieuwenhuis then grounded a seeing-eye, two-run single to left to give Harvey a 4-0 lead.

Conforto laced a two-out double down the rightfield line in the third for his second big-league hit and scored on Nieuwenhuis' single to make it 5-0.

The last time Harvey pitched, he put the Mets in a 5-0 hole after three innings on Monday in a 7-2 loss to Washington. Harvey wound up going seven in that one and said he thought he had found something when he retired his final 14 batters.

After Rollins' homer in the fifth made it 5-1, the Mets poured it on. Johnson homered in the bottom half before Conforto hit a double to deep center and scored on a double by Nieuwenhuis. Harvey's RBI double inside the bag at third made it 8-1.

Pederson homered in the sixth, but Murphy's two-run shot and Duda's solo blast gave the Mets an 11-2 lead. Conforto added a single to left for his fourth hit and scored on Harvey's single. Another run scored on a wild pitch and it was 13-2.

Duda hit a solo homer and the Mets' final run scored on a bases-loaded walk to pinch hitter Eric Campbell in the seventh.